A method for making a cover for a component of a vehicle passenger compartment comprising the steps of molding the cover for the component from a polymeric material, and forming an integrally-formed aesthetic feature in an uninterrupted portion of the cover which simulates a seam between regions of the cover.
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1. A method for making a nonlaminated simulated leather cover for overlying an unfinished surface of a vehicle passenger compartment, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a mold for forming an exposed obverse side of said nonlaminated simulated leather cover including a raised aesthetic feature in said nonlaminated simulated leather cover;
introducing a fluid polymer material into said mold to form said nonlaminated simulated leather cover;
molding said raised aesthetic feature along said obverse side of said nonlaminated simulated leather cover from said fluid polymer material contemporaneously with said introduction of said fluid polymer material into said mold and said production of said nonlaminated simulated leather cover, said raised aesthetic feature simulating a sewn seam joining two separate pieces of an authentic leather cover;
removing said nonlaminated simulated leather cover from said mold; and
adding a thread-stitched seam to said nonlaminated simulated leather cover generally parallel to and adjacent said raised aesthetic feature.
11. A method for making a nonlaminated simulated leather cover for overlying an unfinished surface of a vehicle passenger compartment, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a mold including a first mold portion with a first face for molding an exposed obverse side of a nonlaminated intact piece, said first face including a surface relief for molding a simulated sewn seam in said nonlaminated intact piece, and a second mold portion with a second face for molding a hidden reverse side of said nonlaminated intact piece;
introducing a pre-heated flowable polymeric material into said mold;
contemporaneously with said introduction of said pre-heated flowable polymeric material into said mold, molding said nonlaminated intact piece, including molding said simulated sewn seam along a preselected line in said nonlaminated intact piece;
removing said nonlaminated intact piece from said mold; and
stitching at least one side seam in said nonlaminated intact piece generally parallel to and adjacent said simulated sewn seam to simulate a french seam joining two separate pieces of authentic leather.
14. A method for covering an unfinished surface of a trim component shell in a vehicle passenger compartment with a single-layer simulated leather cover, said single-layer simulated leather cover simulating an authentic leather cover for covering said unfinished surface, and formed from two separate pieces of authentic leather joined with a stitched seam, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a mold including a first mold portion with a first face for molding an exposed obverse side of said single-layer simulated leather cover, said first face including a surface relief for molding a simulated sewn seam in said single-layer simulated leather cover, and a second mold portion with a second face for molding a hidden reverse side of said single-layer simulated leather cover;
molding said single-layer simulated leather cover from a fluid polymer material, said single-layer simulated leather cover having a configuration complementary to a configuration of said unfinished surface of said trim component shell;
contemporaneously with molding said single-layer simulated leather cover molding from said single fluid polymer material said simulated sewn seam extending along said exposed obverse side of said single-layer simulated leather cover;
adding a thread-stitched seam to said single-layer simulated leather cover generally parallel to and adjacent said simulated sewn seam; and
installing said single-layer simulated leather cover over said unfinished surface of said trim component shell with said hidden reverse side facing said unfinished surface of said trim component shell so that a location of said simulated sewn seam relative to said unfinished surface of said trim component shell corresponds with a location of said stitched seam joining said two separate pieces of authentic leather relative to said unfinished surface of said trim component shell.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/481,629, filed Nov. 12, 2003, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/481,603, filed Nov. 5, 2003, and is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/711,979, filed Oct. 18, 2004.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to covers for trim components in a vehicle passenger compartment and more specifically to vehicular trim components with covers comprising composite stitching.
2. Description of the Related Art
Trim components, such as door armrests, center console armrests, and gear shifter boots, for a vehicle passenger compartment of luxury vehicles typically have a leather exterior surface, and leather is often an upgrade option for other vehicles. Leather is considered a highly desired and superior cover material because of its sleek appearance and distinguishable texture. The premium that consumers pay for leather surfaces arises not only from the higher material cost, but also from the manufacturing and assembly costs.
Usually, the leather cover on a trim component comprises two or more pieces of leather that are individually cut and sewn together with a manually operated sewing machine in several steps. To join two pieces of leather 100 and 102, as illustrated in
After all the pieces of the leather are sewn together with French seams 116 to form a cover 118, the cover 118 is assembled to a rigid shell 120 to construct the vehicular trim component 122, as shown in
In an effort to manufacture affordable trim components having the appearance of “cut and sew” hand-wrapped leather products, trim component manufacturers have turned to polymer molding processes. During such processes, molten polymer material, for example a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), is injected into a mold, where it solidifies into a part having the shape of the mold. Molds for faux leather trim covers comprise a surface with a texture similar to leather and features resembling French stitching. While the surface texture and butt seams of molded products closely resemble the corresponding aspects of “cut and sew” hand-wrapped leather products, the molded seams parallel to the butt seam have an obvious faux appearance. The absence of thread in the parallel seams is an immediate indicator that the seam is a molded French seam and, therefore, the trim component does not have a leather surface.
In an embodiment of the invention, a method for making a cover for a component of a vehicle passenger compartment comprising the steps of molding the cover for the component from a polymeric material, and forming an integrally-formed aesthetic feature in an uninterrupted portion of the cover which simulates a seam between regions of the cover.
In the drawings:
The invention addresses the deficiencies of the prior art and provides a vehicular trim component with a molded cover having an appearance that closely resembles a “cut and sew” leather cover. The molded cover comprises a composite French seam that has a molded butt seam and threaded parallel side seams.
Referring now to the figures and to
As illustrated in
As best viewed in
The combination of the molded center seam 32, the thread-stitched side seams 34 and 36, and the regions 38 and 40 therebetween, respectively, readily simulate a real French seam from an authentic “cut and sew” leather cover. In particular, utilizing thread for the side seams 38 and 40 adds an authentic feature to the composite French seam 30 and contributes to the overall “cut and sew” appearance of the cover 10.
Referring now to
The cushion layer 54 is disposed between the cover 10 and the shell 50 and has a varying thickness preferably not exceeding the heights of the flanges 56 and 58. The cushion layer 54 is preferably a foam layer that is either foamed in place through the aperture 62 or cut, using a die, into a shape corresponding to that of the cover 10 and the shell 52. If the cushion layer 54 is a foam-in-place layer, the foam material can optionally contain an adhesive to bond the cover 10 to the shell 32. The foam provides a soft, cushioned ply beneath the cover 10 so that a vehicle occupant can comfortably rest a body part, such as an elbow, on the armrest 50. Additionally, the combination of the cushion layer 54 and the cover 10 impart a tactile feel similar to that of a “cut and sew” hand-wrapped leather armrest.
The sequence of steps in the following descriptions of the manufacturing processes for the cover 10 and the armrest 50 is exemplary. The steps are presented in the following manner in order to provide a clear description of the manufacturing processes. In practice, the process steps can proceed in any logical and suitable order and are not limited to the order described herein.
The cover 10 with the composite French seam 30 according to the invention is manufactured in the following manner. Of course, it will be understood that the manufacturing steps described herein can be performed in any order which would be apparent to one skilled in the art. Liquid or partially liquid polymer material is introduced into a mold having a profile that is the inverse of the cover 10. In addition to the general shape of the cover 10, the mold accounts for the faux-leather surface texture, at least one center seam 32, and the corresponding regions 38 and 40. Once the polymer at least partially solidifies, the mold is opened, and the cover 10 is removed. If a top coat is desired, it can be painted onto the exterior surface of the cover 10.
The threaded side seams 34 and 36 are stitched, with a manually or automatically operated sewing machine, into the cover 10 and adjacent to the at least one center seam 32. Alternatively, the threaded side seams 34 and 36 can be simulated instead of being stitched, such as being formed as a series of in-molded indentations formed in generally parallel fashion adjacent to the center seam 32.
After the stitching is completed and any applied coating and/or paint is sufficiently dry, the cover 10 is ready for use in the manufacture of the vehicular armrest 50.
To assemble the armrest 50 with a foam-in-place cushion layer 54, the cover 10 is attached to the shell 52 by placing the cover 10 onto the shell 52 and wrapping the edges of the cover 10 around the peripheral flanges 56 and 58. The cover 10 and shell 52 are situated with a space therebetween for the cushion layer 54. Next, the foam/adhesive is poured through the shell aperture 62 and into the space between the cover 10 and the shell 52. Air within the space can escape through the vent 64. As the foam solidifies, the cushion layer 54 forms and adheres to both the cover 10 and the shell 52.
When the cushion layer 54 is a die cut foam layer, the armrest 50 is assembled in the following manner. At any time during the assembly process, adhesive is applied to any of the armrest components 10, 52, or 54 to secure the cover 10, the shell 52, and the cushion layer 54 together. The cushion layer 54, already cut into the proper shape, is positioned on the shell 52, and then the cover 10 is placed over the cushion layer 54 and wrapped around the peripheral flanges 56 and 58 of the shell 52.
Regardless of the type of cushion layer 54, the processes to make and assemble the cover 10 and armrest 50 offer several advantages over the prior art “cut and sew” leather hand-wrapped processes. With particular reference to
While the invention has been described thus far with respect to a cover 10 for an armrest 50, the composite French stitching 30 can be utilized on a cover for any size, shape, or type of vehicular trim components. The invention is not limited to a cover for an armrest; the combination of the molded center seam 32 and the threaded side seams 34 and 36 can be incorporated into, for example, a cover 70 for a center console, which is illustrated in
Molded covers according to the invention and vehicular trim components comprising such covers have an exterior surface that looks and feels like a true leather “cut and sew” surface. Molding the center, butt seam and thread-stitching the parallel side seams creates a composite French seam that has a more authentic appearance than completely molded French seams and is less costly than a true French seam. Furthermore, the polymer material of the molded cover is a proven production material and has less of a tendency to deteriorate over time than leather. Several other advantages of the molded covers for vehicular trim components are apparent from the foregoing description.
Of course, it will also be understood that, while the invention has been described herein with respect to a suitable improvement over a traditional leather trim component, the invention is also applicable as an improved replacement for traditional cut-and-sew vinyl, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic urethane (TPU) components as well.
Further, while the invention has been described with respect to a French seam, other types of seams can be formed into the trim component. Thus, the particular type of seam (i.e., a French seam) described herein shall not be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention, but rather the formation of any type of seam known to one skilled in the art is contemplated as being within the scope of this invention.
It will be also understood that this invention also relates to decorative components where there is no foam layer between an outer skin/cover and a substrate therebeneath. For example, a door bolster (the decorative part of a door panel typically above the door armrest location) would be a suitable decorative member which typically does not include a foam layer.
While the preferred method of producing the flexible outer cover is the injection molding process there are a number of other processes that could be utilized. This would include but not be limited to rotocasting, slush molding, in mold spray urethane or any other process known to those skilled in the art.
This invention is also not limited to vehicular trim components. For example the seam formation articles, systems and methods described herein would be equally applicable to non-vehicular applications such as, for example, a seat back and/or arm rest in the furniture industry, such as in the office furniture industry.
While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation, and the scope of the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.
Scheidmantel, David A., Bicard, Michael D., Runnals, Nicholas J.
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Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
Oct 07 2004 | RUNNALS, NICHOLAS J | LEON PLASTICS INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 018410 | /0965 | |
Oct 07 2004 | BICARD, MICHAEL D | LEON PLASTICS INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 018410 | /0965 | |
Oct 07 2004 | SCHEIDMANTEL, DAVID A | LEON PLASTICS INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 018410 | /0965 | |
Oct 19 2006 | Leon Plastics, Inc. | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / | |||
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